A power converter control device includes an alarm signal generation circuit which detects information necessary for a protection operation of a semiconductor element configuring a power converter, and generates and externally outputs an alarm signal with a pulse width responding to a protection factor; a temperature signal generation circuit which detects a temperature of the semiconductor element, and generates a PWM signal, correlated with the temperature, the cycle of which is different from the pulse width of the alarm signal; and an output control circuit which selects the PWM signal in normal time, and selects and externally outputs the alarm signal in place of the PWM signal when the alarm signal is generated.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A power converter control device, comprising: a drive circuit configured to drive a semiconductor element; a plurality of protection circuits, each of the plurality of protection circuits being configured to detect information corresponding to a protection operation of the semiconductor element, to generate a protection signal, and, in accordance with the protection signal, stop the drive of the semiconductor element by the drive circuit; an alarm signal generation circuit configured to, in response to an output of each of the plurality of protection circuits, generate an alarm signal with a pulse width corresponding to a protection factor of the semiconductor element, and to output the alarm signal; a temperature signal generation circuit configured to detect a temperature of the semiconductor element, and to generate a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal, correlated with the temperature, the cycle of the PWM signal being different from the pulse width of the alarm signal; and an output control circuit configured to select and output the alarm signal instead of the PWM signal when the alarm signal is generated.
2. The power converter control device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of protection circuits comprises a voltage detection circuit configured to detect a control voltage applied to the control device, a temperature detection circuit configured to detect a temperature of the semiconductor element, and a current detection circuit configured to detect a current flowing through the semiconductor element, and to generate respective protection signals for low voltage protection, overheat protection, and overcurrent protection.
3. The power converter control device according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature signal generation circuit is configured to generate the PWM signal only if the temperature of the semiconductor element is equal to or higher than a set temperature.
4. The power converter control device according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature signal generation circuit is configured to generate the PWM signal while defining at least one of the upper limit or the lower limit of a duty of the PWM signal.
5. The power converter control device according to claim 1 , wherein the output control circuit comprises a multiplexer configured to select and output the alarm signal when the alarm generation circuit generates the alarm signal, and to select and output the PWM signal when the generation of the alarm signal stops.
6. A power converter control device, comprising: a plurality of drive circuits that drive a plurality of semiconductor elements, respectively; a plurality of protection circuits corresponding to the plurality of semiconductor elements, respectively, each of the plurality of protection circuits being configured to detect information corresponding to a protection operation of each of the plurality of semiconductor elements, to generate a protection signal, and, in accordance with the protection signal, stop the drive of the semiconductor element by the drive circuit; alarm signal generation circuits corresponding to the plurality of semiconductor elements, respectively, each of the alarm signal generation circuits configured to, in response to an output of each corresponding protection circuit, generate and output an alarm signal with a pulse width corresponding to a protection factor; temperature signal generation circuits configured to detect a temperature of each of the plurality of semiconductor elements, respectively, and to generate a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal, correlated with the temperature, the cycle of the PWM signal being different from the pulse width of the alarm signal; and output control circuits configured to select and output the alarm signal instead of the PWM signal when the alarm signal is generated.
7. The power converter control device according to claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of protection circuits comprises a voltage detection circuit configured to detect a control voltage applied to the control device, a temperature detection circuit configured to detect a temperature of the semiconductor element, and a current detection circuit configured to detect a current flowing through the semiconductor element, and to generate respective protection signals for low voltage protection, overheat protection, and overcurrent protection.
8. The power converter control device according to claim 6 , wherein each of the temperature signal generation circuits is configured to generate the PWM signal only if the temperature of the respective semiconductor element is equal to or higher than a set temperature.
9. The power converter control device according to claim 6 , wherein each of the temperature signal generation circuits is configured to generate the PWM signal while defining at least one of the upper limit or the lower limit of a duty of the PWM signal.
10. The power converter control device according to claim 6 , wherein each of the output control circuits comprises a multiplexer configured to select and output the alarm signal when the alarm generation circuit generates the alarm signal, and to select and output the PWM signal when the generation of the alarm signal stops.
11. The power converter control device according to claim 10 , wherein the multiplexer is configured to select and output the PWM signal in accordance with a switching signal generated by delaying the trailing edge of the alarm signal.
12. The power converter control device according to claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of drive circuits are formed into integrated circuits with the plurality of respective protection circuits and alarm signal generation circuits corresponding to the plurality of respective semiconductor elements, and the temperature signal generation circuit is formed into an integrated circuit with the output circuit independently from the plurality of drive circuits.
13. The power converter control device according to claim 12 , wherein the temperature signal generation circuit is configured to select the highest temperature of a plurality of the detected temperatures and to generate a PWM signal correlated with the highest temperature.
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October 6, 2014
May 10, 2016
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